AIO or Air Cooler for i7-8700k

[BSula99]

Hi all,

 

So I’m working out what is a good cooler for my CPU on my rig I’m currently planning. I will be using an i7-8700k CPU with a ROG Maximus X Hero Mobo in an NZXT H700i ATX Mid-Tower Case. I don’t plan on overclocking just now, but down the road I may try to hit that 5ghz mark. I have never delidded a CPU before but am considering trying it after reading the forums. Right now, I’m trying to find out primarily what cooler I can run with that CPU that will fit the red/black color scheme, provide top of the line cooling under heavy load, have consistent good performance without hardware failures, and fit in the case. Budget is $300. All suggestions are appreciated .

[SpiralTTGL]

h100i v2 seems to be a popular choice for water cooling, but the best would be a delid for thermals even with best water cooling / air 5ghz will run hot without it

[W-L]

3 minutes ago, BSula99 said:

-SNIP-

For $300 you have a fair bit of room to work with, if you wanted to get the most performance possible a triple radiator AIO cooler would be one of the best options next to custom watercooling. In terms of air cooler dual tower units like the dark rock pro 4 or Noctua NH-D15 are comparable to 240 and 280mm AIO units. 

[BSula99]

2 minutes ago, W-L said:

For $300 you have a fair bit of room to work with, if you wanted to get the most performance possible a triple radiator AIO cooler would be one of the best options next to custom watercooling. In terms of air cooler dual tower units like the dark rock pro 4 or Noctua NH-D15 are comparable to 240 and 280mm AIO units. 

I honestly don’t have the practical experience needed to set up a custom loop (I’ve used gaming laptops most my life, this is first gaming desktop I’ve built). What 360mm AIOs would you suggest?

[W-L]

Just now, BSula99 said:

I honestly don’t have the practical experience needed to set up a custom loop (I’ve used gaming laptops most my life, this is first gaming desktop I’ve built). What 360mm AIOs would you suggest?

There are quite a few options these days, the Kraken X72 an Corsair H150i pro would be some of the best one for large format AIO units. 

[Tha Joker]

I'm using an Corsair H100i V2 for my i7-8700k build I did and it keeps the CPU Temperature on Idle around: 25C and under load around 35-45.

[BSula99]

15 minutes ago, W-L said:

There are quite a few options these days, the Kraken X72 an Corsair H150i pro would be some of the best one for large format AIO units. 

Is there any advantage to going with another AIO that’s not a 360mm? Say the H115i for example?

 

[W-L]

Just now, BSula99 said:

Is there any advantage to going with another AIO that’s not a 360mm? Say the H115i for example?

 

It’s mainly for silent performance, if you want to save some costs to put elsewhere in the system a 240-280mm AIO is more than capable of handling the 8700k. 

[Crazycatman]

13 minutes ago, W-L said:

There are quite a few options these days, the Kraken X72 an Corsair H150i pro would be some of the best one for large format AIO units. 

Get one of those. Get a H150i. or EVGA CLC 280.

[Streetguru]

52 minutes ago, BSula99 said:

 

Why all of the overpriced parts? what's your budget/country, and what's your monitor resolution/refreshrate? Just gaming?

[Christophe Corazza]

1 hour ago, BSula99 said:

Is there any advantage to going with another AIO that’s not a 360mm? Say the H115i for example?

 

From all of the AIO mentioned, I would go for the H115i, just as you've mentioned.

The H115i is pretty capable of keeping your 8700K cool.

However, if you want to overclock, you might benefit by going to a 360 mm radiator when you also value quiet performance.

[BSula99]

50 minutes ago, Christophe Corazza said:

 

From all of the AIO mentioned, I would go for the H115i, just as you've mentioned.

The H115i is pretty capable of keeping your 8700K cool.

However, if you want to overclock, you might benefit by going to a 360 mm radiator when you also value quiet performance.

I’ve heard there’s are some Air Coolers just as capable as 360mm AIOs. Do you know if that’s the case?

[Christophe Corazza]

41 minutes ago, BSula99 said:

I’ve heard there’s are some Air Coolers just as capable as 360mm AIOs. Do you know if that’s the case?

 

If you want the best performance possible you can get it with a 280 mm or 360 mm radiator which is usually better than a dual tower heat sink and fan. With a 240 mm, it really just depends on which one, some are worse and some are barely better.